


together

by smolderholders



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), F/M, Hurt Tony Stark, I'm Sorry, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Thanos is a big meanie, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:40:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21811585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolderholders/pseuds/smolderholders
Summary: steve rogers is the most stubborn asshole that tony knows. so why isn't he there when tony comes back from space after thanos?
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Kudos: 30





	together

_The only thing that really got Tony through those twenty three days of starving in space was the thought of Pepper and Rhodey._ And Steve. As much as he hated to admit it, that stupid blonde piece of justice was someone he cared about deeply. He didn't acknowledge him when he made his videos to Pepper, leftover rage another fuel of survival so that he could spit it in Steve's face that the asshole had broken his promise. _Together_ , yeah fucking right. 

Nebula was also a huge help. If he had been alone, trapped in the space ship, using up air and food, he would have gone stir crazy. They tried to fix the ship, able to get a few more miles or whatever out of the batteries before they were stranded and left to the void of space. At least Tony could say he tried. He was closer to Earth than he had been on Titan. And when he closed his eyes, he could picture Pepper laying in his bed, soft from sleep, a gentle smile on her face. Rhodey laughing at some stupid joke that Tony couldn't remember but was weirdly proud of. Happy and all the long roadtrips because Tony liked to fly, sure, but there was something about the open highway and being able to talk to his driver that was even better. 

Steve, with his stupid bright smile before the Sokovia Accords, when Tony and him had been getting closer. Sparring with him in the Compound and trying to psych him out by talking entirely too much. It had never worked. At least there were more fond memories of being under Steve than there are bad ones. It almost makes up for Steve ramming the shield into the suits arc reactor and breaking his ribs (not really, but Tony was _tired_ of being angry about it all the time). 

So, when the void of space turned so bright Tony thought the closest star was exploding, only to turn out that someone named Captain Marvel was there to save them, Tony was relieved. He had been trying to focus on something other than Peter turning to dust in his hands, the telltale sign that they had lost. If it had been the feeling of Steve's hand on his shoulder, squeezing it while smiling at Tony brightly, no one had to know. Thinking about Pepper worked too, but if anyone was stubborn enough to survive whatever Thanos had done to decimate the population, it was Steve Rogers.

Touching down on Earth was a wish come true. Tony almost though that he was dead, that this was his version of Heaven. It certainly made sense. He was home. 

Nebula had to help him off of the ship. He was severely malnourished and starving, the emptiness of his stomach an all too familiar feeling by now. Rhodey was the person to get to him first, taking him from Nebula and helping him down that last step onto the lawn of Avengers Compound. Tony had to look back at Nebula, had to check that she was okay. She nodded at him, so he let Rhodey slowly lead him to the rest of the group, which was comprised of Bruce, Natasha, Pepper, and a... raccoon? 

Pepper got to him then, and Tony felt elation, because she had survived, she was alive, he could feel the warmth that radiated off of her, one that he was so used to. She was the one that helped him back to the Compound, was the one that gave him to what was left of their medical team. All the while, Steve didn't make an appearance. Anger was zipping through his veins because how _dare_ he be a _coward_ now?

It was when they had gathered, when Tony was more stable, that Tony found out the truth. He had been sitting in his wheelchair, hooked up to the IV, everyone talking about how they were going to find Thanos when Tony couldn't take it anymore, "Where's Rogers?" 

Natasha looked away, then looked down. Bruce's shoulders tensed. Rhodey pursed his lips and looked at the holograms on the screen of the people they lost to Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet snap. Tony had been watching it. Steve was not one of the people that had showed up. Thor's face darkened from where he had been sitting farther away from them. 

"Tony--" Rhodey started, obviously trying to think of what to say. 

"We didn't lose Steve to the snap," Natasha cut in, her voice cracking at the last word. "He was trying to give Wanda time. She was destroying the stone. Thanos... He took a hit and he went down and didn't get back up. Even when Thanos--" Her voice broke again. She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Even when Thanos brought Vision back to get the Mind Stone by using the Time Stone, nothing happened to him."

Tony couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. The only thing that was playing in his head was a mantra of _no_ because this wasn't supposed to end like this. Steve and him may have fought. They may have a rocky relationship, one that hasn't been tended to in two years because of what happened in Siberia. But it wasn't supposed to end like this. With Steve a corpse and Tony barely living. 

He had said together, and as much as Tony hated when he was right, they could only do this _together_. 

Tony hadn't even realized he had ripped the IV out of his arm and was walking away, breaths coming quick because it hurt. His chest hurt. Steve had been... not like Pepper, but also like her as well. A rock. A stubborn asshole that could never leave Tony's life, not for long. Tony loved him. Knew that since he almost died way back during the Battle of New York and Steve had looked at him, dirt and dust caking his face, and said simply _we won._

Rhodey had caught him before he could get very far. Tony grabbed his neck tightly, holding himself up so he could stare into his best friend's eyes and said with all the conviction in the whole damn fucking universe, 

"We're getting those Stones." 

**Author's Note:**

> so, my thought process, and how steve died was: in infinity war, thanos (who is probably very strong) punched steve in the temple. the serum maybe could have healed him, but i believed that thanos got steve just right and killed him. therefore, steve died in infinity war. 
> 
> please enjoy my angsty self, i promise some fluff soon. 
> 
> also, i got a new laptop and the first thing i wrote on it was stony lmaooooo


End file.
